Guidewire containment apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A wire containing or dispensing article and method are disclosed. The invention is used to dispense wire from a tubular wire carrier. The invention is particularly useful for containing/dispensing a guidewire, especially a coated guidewire. The article is an elongate dispensing sleeve or collar having an axial hole or bore through which a wire may pass. The sleeve has a cylindrical sleeve body with lateral projections on its outside and a plurality of transverse slits passing through its wall. The lateral projections and slits cooperate to permit wire to be restrictively engaged at the bore and to be controllably dispensed from the carrier by the partial insertion and removal of the sleeve into and out of the carrier. The method is controllable dispensing of the wire from the carrier by utilization of the article.

This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 07/787,068 filed on Nov. 4,1992 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,279,573.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to devices, or apparatuses for dispensing wirefrom substantially cylindrical or tubular containment structure. Thisinvention also relates to wire containing or transporting apparatuses orcarriers where the wire has a tendency to migrate from the apparatusduring shipping or handling. More particularly, in a preferred practice,the present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for containingand dispensing a specific type of wire namely, a guidewire. Thisinvention is particularly applicable to the process of guidewirecontainment in dispenser assemblies where the guidewire has a slipperycoating thereon.

Guidewires have been described in a number of patents, representativeexamples of which are U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,390 to Leary, U.S. Pat. No.3,973,556 to Fleischhacker et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,622 to Samsonet al. Guidewires have many different structural features andconfigurations depending upon the medical procedure with which they areto be used. Generally speaking, guidewires are used in the process ofdirecting a catheter to identified locations or sites within a patient'scardiovascular or peripheral vascular system for the purpose ofdiagnosis or treatment. Typically, the guidewire is placedpercutaneously into a patient's blood vessel and is directed to thepreviously identified site. A catheter selected to provide theparticular medical procedure at the site then is advanced over theguidewire until the functional structure, working or operating portionof the catheter is located in the proximity of the previously identifiedsite. The catheter then is utilized to accomplish the selected medicalprocedure. The guidewire may be withdrawn from the vascular systembefore, during, or after utilization of the catheter.

A typical example of the above process would be to utilize a guidewireto direct an angiographic catheter to a site of a vascular obstruction.Thereafter an angioplasty procedure, e.g., balloon angioplasty, may becarried out by means of, e.g., a balloon angioplasty catheter. Othercatheters are designed to perform procedures such as application ofultrasound to an obstruction, delivery of drugs, execution of diagnosticprocedures, or any of a number of applications of drugs, energy or otherforces within the body.

The present invention is intended to be used with essentially allguidewires. However, guidewires are often coated with a slippery orhydrophilic coating to make the processes of passing a guidewire througha body vessel and passing a catheter over the guidewire proceed moreeasily. This invention is particularly applicable to the containment,transportation, and dispensing of coated guidewires in the dispenserassembly until they are used in a medical procedure.

The present invention, in a preferred embodiment, is particularlyapplicable to insertion and utilization of guidewires havingpredetermined, or preferential distal end configurations other thanstraight or linear. The distal ends of such guidewires would have abuilt-in preference, bias, or memory which causes their distal ends toassume (or to resume) a curved, angled, or bent configuration if theyare not physically restrained to a straight or linear configuration. Forexample, some guidewires have what is referred to as a "J" distal endconfiguration. Guidewires with a "J" distal end configuration, afterbeing inserted into the vasculature in a straight configuration (e.g.,held in a linear arrangement by means of a straightener), return totheir "J" configuration after the straightening device is withdrawn.When such a guidewire is steered into the vascular system, the roundedbottom of the "J" (as opposed to the tip of the "J") is at the verydistal or leading end of the guidewire. In this manner, "J"configuration guidewires present a potentially less traumatic, roundedconfiguration to the vascular system through which the guidewire passes.

For reasons of device protection, ease of handling and dispensing, andfluid flushing, guidewires tend to be stored and transported in tubulardispenser assemblies, carriers, or containers. Generally speaking, thetubular dispenser assembly or loop of tubing will have a substantiallylarger inside diameter than the outside diameter of a guidewirecontained therein. To utilize a guidewire contained within such anassembly in a medical procedure, the guidewire must be partially andultimately, totally removed therefrom.

During the transportation and handling of guidewires contained within ashipping or dispenser assembly, a problem has sometimes developed inthat guidewires tend to migrate or to emerge from the dispenser in aless than controlled fashion. The guidewire, which may be from 20 to 400cm in length (or longer), is sufficiently longitudinally rigid so as tohave a natural tendency to migrate from its dispenser.

Also, medical personnel handling the guidewire under sterile or nearsterile operative conditions must be able to control, as precisely aspossible, dispensing of the guidewire. With guidewire handling problemsresulting from medical personnel wearing surgical gloves and a guidewirecoated with a slippery, hydrophilic coating, exact containment anddispensing of the device can be very important to reducing the durationand increasing the overall success of the medical procedure in which theguidewire is used.

One approach to the above problem has been simply to provide a vinyl,restriction fit cap which fits the open, dispensing end of a tubularguidewire dispenser. This approach has the potential drawback of notbeing applicable for transportation/storage of guidewires having aso-called "J" distal end. Capped "J" guidewires would require aseparate, additional straightener assembly to straighten the "J"guidewire configuration during initial guidewire insertion. In otherwords, the capped dispenser approach would not likely be applicable tocontain guidewires having a non-linear distal end predisposition.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an apparatus and method for containingand dispensing a wire, particularly a guidewire, from a tubular,elongate, or cylindrical transfer, transportation, or carrier assemblye.g., a carrier tube. This invention is particularly useful forcontaining a coated guidewire within such an assembly.

Briefly, in one aspect, the present invention is an article, device,dispensing collar, or dispensing sleeve. A sleeve of this invention hasone end with a smaller overall or effective outside diameter whichpermits it to be inserted into a tubular wire carrier (while containinga wire therein), the other end having a larger overall, effective oroutside diameter or configuration which prevents it from beingcompletely inserted into the same tubular wire carrier. A sleeve of thepresent invention comprises a substantially cylindrical sleeve bodyhaving an axial bore or passage therethrough. The sleeve body has a sidewall, an insertion, leading, or first end and a radial stop,restriction, or second end, the bore being of a diameter to permit wireto pass freely or restrictively therethrough. The sleeve body has in itsside wall a plurality of slits or openings. The slits, which may belongitudinal or other configuration as viewed from the side, and whichmay extend partially or completely between the first and second sleevebody ends, pass through the sleeve body side wall so as to divide thesleeve body into sleeve body segments (i.e., transversely to the axis ofthe sleeve). The integral, i.e., the uncut portions of the sleeve body,and the slits allow the sleeve body segments to be repetitivelycompressed toward each other (e.g., as the sleeve is inserted into atube), thereby at least partially collapsing the slits and reducing thediameter of the bore. When the sleeve body segments are compressedtoward each other, they restrictively engage a wire passing between them(i.e., through the bore) and thereby permit wire to be contained withinand to be controllably dispensed from the tubular container with whichthe sleeve cooperates.

The sleeve body segments also include lateral or radial projections orrigid fins which are attached thereto or which are molded thereon so asto be part thereof. The lateral projections define the overall, outside,or effective diameter of the portion of the sleeve of which they are apart. The lateral projections project from the sleeve body segments adistance or height so as to cooperate with the inside of a tubularcontainer to compress the sleeve body segments toward each other and atleast partially close the slits when the insertion end of the sleeve isinserted into the end of the tubular container. The lateral projectionsmay be disposed between the first and second ends of the sleeve body orthey may be located adjacent or proximate to one or the other of saidends. If the lateral projections are not medially disposed, generallyspeaking, it is preferable that they be molded into the sleeve bodyadjacent its first end or insertion end. The lateral projections may befins or bumps and may be longitudinally or transversely disposed withrespect to the axis of the sleeve.

The sleeve body further includes radial stop means, e.g., a projectingring or collar, which prevents the following or second end of the sleevefrom entering the tubular carrier when the smaller outside diameter endof the sleeve is inserted therein. Radial stop means are usually moldedas part of the sleeve itself. Generally speaking, if the sleeve is to beinserted into the tubular carrier at its insertion end, then the stopmeans would be located on the opposite, second, restriction, orfollowing end of the sleeve.

In a preferred practice, the present invention includes a guidewiredistal end straightener segment integrally molded or continuing from therestriction or second end of the sleeve. The straightener segment has abore which continues from and is collinear with the bore of the sleeve.For example, a sleeve of this invention may have a conical (to permitease of insertion of the straightened guidewire) "J" straightenersegment extending from the restriction end of the device so as to beintegral with the sleeve. In another practice, a sleeve of the presentinvention can include a fingergrip means, also having a bore, thefingergrip means preferably integrally molded into the second orrestriction end of the device so as to be coaxial with the sleeve bodybore.

The method of the present invention is one for controllably containingand dispensing wire in or from a tubular container, e.g., a tubularcoil, having the wire therein. The method of this invention comprisesthe steps of: providing a tubular container having a wire therein andhaving an above-described sleeve in one end thereof with the wirepassing therethrough via the bore. The sleeve is located within an endof the tubular container or carrier so that the collar stop meansengages the end of the tubular container. Further, the sleeve bodysegments frictionally engage the wire (via the bore) by virtue of theirbeing compressed toward each other, producing an interference fitbetween the sleeve body lateral projections and the inside end of thetubular container. The sleeve segments are compressed together becausethe lateral projections, engaging the inside of the tubular container,are biased toward each other and at least partially close the slits orslots. The frictional engagement between the interior bore of the sleevebody segments and wire substantially restricts or prevents the wire frombeing pulled from the tubular container.

In the next step of the present method, the sleeve is at least partiallypulled from the end of the tubular container so that the lateralprojections pass at least partially outside the coil with one end of thesleeve (usually the insertion end) optionally remaining therein. Thesleeve body segments separate partially, by at least partially returningto their uncompressed position. This permits the wire to passrestrictively between the sleeve body segments with partial frictionalengagement sufficient to prevent unrestricted emergence or migration ofthe wire from its coil or container assembly.

The last step of the present method involves, alternatively, removingthe sleeve from the tubular container so that the sleeve body segmentsreturn to their fully separated, uncompressed configuration and permitthe wire to be freely dispensed, or reinserting the sleeve into the wirecontainer or dispenser so that the wire is substantially restricted frombeing dispensed.

In a preferred practice, the method of this invention involves only thetwo aspects of freely dispensing wire with the sleeve completely removedfrom the tube or substantially restrictively holding the wire within thetube with the dispenser sleeve inserted into the tube substantially asfar as it will go. Utilization of these steps permits enhanced controland deployment of guidewires having very slippery coatings, e.g., Teflonpolytetrafluoroethylene, in a medical procedure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present invention as well as other objectsand advantages thereof will become apparent upon consideration of thedetailed description, especially when taken with the accompanyingdrawings wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, andwherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a guidewire contained within a standarddispenser coil assembly or carrier, the guidewire being retained withinthe assembly by one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a dispenser sleeve of the present inventionhaving an optional finger grip;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of an embodiment of the present inventionwith an optional "J" straightener segment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the embodiment of the invention shown inFIG. 3 with a "J" configuration guidewire projecting therefrom;

FIG. 5 is a view of the dispenser sleeve of FIG. 2 rotated 90° from theview of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a section view of the dispenser sleeve taken along line 6--6of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention withinternal detail shown in phantom;

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view of an embodiment of the inventionillustrating partial withdrawal of the sleeve from a guidewire carrier;and

FIGS. 9-11 illustrate further embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is described by specific reference to a guidewire.However, it is to be understood that the present invention can be usedto dispense essentially any type of wire contained within a largerdiameter carrier. Hence, the specific reference to guidewire should notbe construed to narrow the scope of this invention.

Thus there is shown, in FIG. 1, a substantially conventional or standardguidewire dispenser assembly or carrier 10. Assembly 10 would be used,for example, to store or to transport a guidewire 12 from themanufacturer to the user. Guidewire dispenser assembly 10 has asubstantially larger internal diameter than the outside diameter ofguidewire 12. This provides space in which guidewire 12 could beexposed, for example, to treatment media, as desired. As shown, assembly10 comprises a plurality of loops 16 of a flexible material withseparators 18 used to maintain loops 16 in the desired arrangement. Thetubular section of assembly 10 would be made from a flexible polymericmaterial such as, for example, polypropylene. Many thermoplastic,flexible materials may be used to make the tubular section of assembly10.

FIG. 2 shows a dispenser sleeve, device, or keeper 20 of the presentinvention having an optional finger grip 22. Dispenser sleeve 20, ishollow having a substantially cylindrical hole, bore, or passageway 21(shown in phantom) therethrough. Bore 21 has a diameter chosen to permita guidewire to pass freely or controllably (depending upon designconsiderations) therethrough. Finger grip 22 is a flattened tab havingdiamond patterned grooves 24 molded or cut therein. Obviously, manyother gripping surfaces could be molded into finger grip 22 so as toenhance the user's ability to manipulate the sleeve and thereby containand control a wire e.g., a guidewire, therein.

With reference to FIGS. 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, and 10 sleeve 20 comprises asubstantially cylindrical, hollow sleeve body 26 having first and secondends 28, 30, respectively, and a sleeve body wall 32. Sleeve body wall32 is best shown in FIGS. 6 and 11. Sleeve body wall 32 haslongitudinally disposed slits 34 which, in this embodiment, runsubstantially the entire length of sleeve 20 (and therefor sleeve body26). Slits 34, as best seen in FIG. 6, run completely through side wall32 so as to divide sleeve body 26 into segments 36, and 38. Slits, cuts,or slots 34 divide dispenser sleeve body 26 into two substantiallysymmetric halves or segments 36, 38 by dividing sleeve body wall 32through first sleeve body end 28.

In an alternative embodiment, slits 34 could terminate before reachingfirst sleeve body end 28 so that both first sleeve body end 28 andsecond sleeve body end 30 are substantially integral. In essence, thiswould provide an elongated slot or slit substantially through sleevebody wall 32 with sleeve body segments 36 and 38 being held with respectto each other by side body wall portions therebetween. This variation ofthe present invention is shown in FIG. 10. Dispenser sleeve 20 furthercomprises lateral projections 40 and stop means or radial collar 42.Lateral projections 40 are molded into or attached to sleeve body 26 soas to project outside the radius thereof. Stop means 42 may be of anyconfiguration which would prevent sleeve body 26 from completelyentering the open end 46 of guidewire dispenser assembly 10. Stop means42 is located at the restriction or second end of the sleeve and is anintegral part thereof.

FIGS. 3, 4 and 8 illustrate a preferred article of the present inventionwhich further includes a means or segment for straightening the distalend of a guidewire 12 having a predisposition to be curved. In FIGS. 3,4 and 8, the straightener means or segment is an elongate cone 44. Cone44, as shown, is molded integrally with the sleeve immediately proximate(or on the end thereof) stop means 42. Elongate cone 44 is tapered awayfrom the second or following end of sleeve 20 to permit the guidewire12, while straightened, to be inserted into, for example, an introducerneedle. The straightening means shown is particularly adapted forstraightening a guidewire having a predisposed "J" distal endconfiguration, as discussed above. The device of FIGS. 3 and 4 isparticularly preferred because, in a single integral article,controllable guidewire containment and dispensing are accomplished for aguidewire having a non-linear distal end predisposition. Sleeve 20 shownin FIG. 3 is completely removed from the open end 46 of dispenserassembly 10. Line 49 indicates the axis of the sleeve which is generallycollinear with the axis of tubular dispenser assembly 10.

FIG. 4 shows sleeve 20 inserted within the open end 46 of tubulardispenser assembly 10. Sleeve 20 is inserted to the point where collar42 is substantially in contact with the open end 46 (See, FIG. 3) ofdispenser assembly 10. In this manner, sleeve 20 is restricted fromfurther entering assembly 10. As shown in FIG. 4, lateral projections 40cooperate with the interior wall 48 of assembly 10 to bias sleeve bodysegments 36, 38 around guidewire 12. Thusly, the guidewire is partially(or completely depending upon the relative dimensions) prevented frommigrating or emerging from assembly 10. Longitudinal slit 34 (as shownin FIGS. 2, 6, 7, 10, and 11 would be partially or completely closed asthe sleeve body segments are urged or biased toward each other duringthe insertion process. At the same time, the open end 46 of theguidewire carrier 10 is slightly stretched by lateral projections 40.Some amount of carrier flexibility and collar design adjustment may beneeded to obtain the deemed relationship between the sleeve and the openend of the carrier so as to optimally control the wire interaction.

FIG. 5 is a partial view of the dispenser shown in FIG. 2 rotated 90°from the view of FIG. 2. In this illustration, fingergrip 22 is shown tobe slightly raised from the remainder of this elongate portion of thedevice. Fingergrip 22 includes optional diamond patterned grooves 24(not shown in FIG. 5) which would be molded in a slightly raised portionof the fingergrip. Fingergrip 22 is proximate to and usually isintegrally molded at the same time as the rest of dispenser sleeve 20.Shown in phantom in FIG. 5 is passageway or bore 21 which is of adimension adequate to permit a guidewire to pass therethrough. It shouldbe noted that sleeve bore 21 is interiorly chamfered 50. Chamfer 50permits a guidewire to be more easily inserted in the first end 28 ofsleeve 20.

FIG. 6 has been substantially described above. It also has been noted,in operation, sleeve body segments 36, 38 are biased toward each otheras the sleeve 20 is inserted into the open end 46 of assembly 10. FIG.6, at arrows 52 shows the direction sleeve body segments 36, 38 would becompressed as dispenser sleeve 20 is inserted in the open end 46 ofguidewire dispenser assembly 10. Longitudinal slot 34 would tend to beclosed, and a wire, particularly a guidewire, within bore 21 would befrictionally engaged by the interior surface 54 which defines bore 21.In this manner, a guidewire within bore 21 would be prevented fromaccidentally sliding out of assembly 10.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment of the invention 20 which omits the preferredguidewire straightener and the finger grip. FIG. 7 shows that thediameter of the bore 21 (shown in phantom) may be different from theshort dimension of slit 34. Also, slit 34 is shown to divide essentiallythe entire length of sleeve body 26. Slot or slit 34 may divide lessthan the entire length of sleeve body 26 and, depending upon designrequirements, could divide either or both of first and second ends 28,30. In other words, slot 34 could be cut so as to project inward fromfirst end 28. Slot 34 may also be simply a notch, a hole (or a series ofholes), or a "V"-shaped inward cut opening toward first end 28.

FIG. 8 shows a sleeve of the present invention partially inserted inassembly 10. In this embodiment, lateral projections 40 have beenremoved from open end 46 of dispenser assembly 10. In thisconfiguration, sleeve body segments 36, and 38 would frictionally engagea guidewire (not shown) and permit it to pass therebetween with somerestriction. In this manner, dispensing of guidewire 12 from assembly 10is controllably achieved. Also in this configuration, sleeve bodysegments 36, 38 are at least partially disengaged and have returned, inpart, to their fully separated position such as that shown in FIG. 6.

A sleeve of the present invention is intended to be used with guidewireshaving a range of diameters. This is accomplished, in part, byutilization of a tube assembly 10 having considerable elasticity, atleast at its open end 46. By virtue of the interaction betweenprojections 40 as they enter open end 46 of a tube, substantialvariation in guidewire diameter is permitted. It will be well within thedesign ability of one skilled in this art to determine the relationshipbetween tube elasticity, and the distance or height projections 40 mustextend away from sleeve body 26 to achieve the requisite restrictivefit.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment in the present invention whichwould be particularly useful for controllably dispensing the wire fromassembly 10. FIG. 9 shows a sleeve of the present invention wherein theleading edge 60 of projections or fins 40 has been ramped toward firstend 28. In this manner, partial compression of body segments 36, 38 (inthe direction of arrows 52 of FIG. 6) and concomitant partial dispensingof a wire, e.g., by restrictive frictional engagement by interior boresurface 54, may be accomplished.

FIG. 10 shows an alternative embodiment of the present invention whereinslot 34' terminates before it completely divides sleeve body 26. In thisalternative embodiment, the undivided or uncut portion of sleeve body 26between slot 34' and the terminus of first end 28 (indicated at 62)assists the alternative compression and relaxation process which permitscontrolled delivery or dispensing of a wire from a wire carrier assemblyor tube.

It has been found that this embodiment of the invention is particularlyeasy to load with a guidewire. A guidewire, whether of a bent orstraight distal end predisposition, can be easily inserted into thecollar from first end 26 because a completely circular bore or hole ispresented. In other words, uncut body portion 62 prevent body segments36, 38 from separating so as to make placement of a wire therebetweendifficult. The embodiment of this invention shown in FIG. 10, whenconstructed with a conical "J" straightener segment, such as that shownat 44 in FIGS. 3, 4, and 8, is a particularly preferred arrangement. Astraightener segment or zone would be molded onto or be integral withthe second sleeve body 30 to the left of stop means or collar 42.

FIG. 11 shows an alternative embodiment of the device depicted in FIG. 6wherein projections 40 are pointed 64. The more pointed projections ofFIG. 11 (as contrasted with the more rounded profile shown in FIG. 6)allow a slightly more aggressive interaction between sleeve 20 and theopen end 46 of the tubular dispenser assembly 10. The above disclosurewill suggest many alterations and variations of the present invention toone skilled in this art. All such variations and alterations are to beincluded within the scope of the attached claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A dispenser sleeve for controllably dispensing aguidewire from within a tubular container, the sleeve comprising:asubstantially cylindrical sleeve body comprising a side wall, and firstand second ends, the sleeve body having a bore therethrough, the borehaving a diameter which permits wire to pass restrictively therethrough,the sleeve body having in its side wall: a plurality of slits, the slitsextending through said side wall so as to divide the sleeve body intosleeve body segments which can be compressed toward each other by atleast partially collapsing the slits, the slits extending from thesecond end and terminating short of said first end so that said firstend defines a completely circular bore hole, the sleeve body segmentsfurther including: lateral projections, the projections being located onthe sleeve body segments and projecting therefrom so as to cooperatewith the inside of the tubular container to compress the sleeve bodysegments toward each other into said tubular container thereby engaginga guidewire wire passing between said segments, the sleeve body furtherincluding: stop means located along said second end thereof, said stopmeans restricting the further entry of said sleeve into said container.2. A dispenser sleeve according to claim 1 wherein the stop meanscomprises a radial collar.
 3. A dispenser sleeve according to claim 1which further includes means for straightening the distal end of aguidewire having a predisposition to assume a curved configuration, themeans for straightening being located proximate the second end.
 4. Adispenser sleeve according to claim 23 wherein the means forstraightening is an elongate, conical shape.
 5. A dispenser sleeveaccording to claim 21 which further includes means for straightening thedistal end of a guidewire having a predisposition to assume a curvedconfiguration, the means for straightening being located on one side ofthe stop means, the sleeve body being located on the other.
 6. Anassembly for dispensing a wire, the assembly comprising a tubularcontainer and a dispensing sleeve, the sleeve comprising:a substantiallycylindrical sleeve body comprising a side wall, and first and secondends, the sleeve body having a bore therethrough, the bore having adiameter which permits wire to pass therethrough, the sleeve body havingin its side wall: a plurality of slits, the slits extending through saidside wall so as to divide the sleeve body into sleeve body segmentswhich can be compressed toward each other by at least partiallycollapsing the slits and reducing the diameter of the bore, the slitsextending from the second end and terminating short of said first end sothat said first end defines a completely circular bore hole, the sleevebody segments further including: lateral projections, the projectionsbeing located on the sleeve body segments and extending therefrom adistance sufficient to cooperate with the inside of the tubularcontainer to compress the sleeve body segments toward each other to atleast partially close the slits when the sleeve is inserted into saidtubular container thereby engaging a wire passing between said segments,the sleeve body further including: stop means located along said secondend thereof, said stop means restricting the entry of said sleeve intosaid container; the tubular container having an open or dispensing end,the interior diameter of the container at its open end and the distancethe lateral projections extend away from the sleeve body segments beingselected so that wire located between the sleeve body segments can becontrollably dispensed from the container by adjustment of the extent towhich the sleeve is inserted into the container.
 7. An assemblyaccording to claim 6 wherein the tubular container and the dispensersleeve are adapted to dispense a guidewire.
 8. An assembly according toclaim 7 wherein the guidewire has a distal end predisposition other thanlinear.
 9. An assembly according to claim 8 wherein the dispenser sleevefurther includes a straightener segment for straightening the distal endof the guidewire, the straightener segment having a bore therethroughwhich is collinear with the bore of said sleeve and is attached orintegral with the second end thereof.